Remember where your previous phone is? Maybe he's gathering dust in a closet among scattered batteries. Or it was given to some...
Remember where your previous phone is? Maybe he's gathering dust in a closet among scattered batteries. Or it was given to someone. Or maybe you have no idea where he went.
Having made way for a more modern congener, he quickly became something unnecessary, which you forgot to think about.
No, we will not reproach you with an ungrateful attitude to technology, which has served its time with faith and truth. There are much more serious problems in the world. For example, the problem of ecology. More and more people agree that it is time to reduce the amount of waste and man-made impact on the environment. And if you don't send your old smartphone to a landfill, but let it serve a little longer, this will also be a small contribution to caring for the planet.
In everyday life, there is a place for any smartphone, even for one whose characteristics look ridiculous by today's standards. If his condition is satisfactory, then it will take years before he completely loses functionality, and until then it will be good for something useful.
And we are ready to offer 8 ideas on how you can use an unnecessary mobile phone.
1. VIDEO RECORDER
No one doubts whether to put the DVR in the car or not - it all comes down to the question of which one to put. The fact is that a video surveillance camera in a car interior can become indisputable proof in the event of an accident and will quickly put an impudent offender in place. Sometimes situations that are not a sin to share on the Internet fall into the lens. So the DVR is definitely a useful thing.
An old smartphone with a working camera is an almost finished video recorder. All that is missing is the appropriate software. For Android, AutoBoy Dash Cam is a great choice. The application automatically cleans up old recordings and has a smart function for recognizing accidents: such a video is specially marked and is not deleted from memory. You can also set up a YouTube backup. The application runs in the background and does not interfere with using the smartphone in another way, for example, as a navigator.
IPhone equivalent - Smart Dash Cam. The only difference is that this application does not support background work.
To install a smartphone recorder in the car, you need a special mount. You also need to think about the way you eat. If there is no USB port in the car, or it is one and it is impossible to occupy it all the time, then a splitter will come to the rescue.
2. VIDEO BABY MONITOR
One tiny baby brings a million new worries into the house. Responsible parents try their best to ensure that their heir grows up in a comfortable and safe environment. You can, of course, buy the coolest baby monitor in the store , but why, if you already have a pocket computer with a built-in camera and microphone?
Cloud Baby Monitor (Android and iOS) is a comprehensive application that broadcasts the sniffling face of your beloved baby on a working smartphone day and night. It has anti-burglary protection, a sleep mode system, sound and motion alerts, two-way communication, lights, built-in lullabies, and much more. The only thing this application is unable to do is to feed a hungry mouth. So you still have to jump in the middle of the night from frantic screams and go to the nursery.
3. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OF THE APARTMENT
If the smartphone is able to follow the baby, then it will be able to keep an eye on the private territory even more so. A working cell phone is a complete home security system with cool bonuses. Due to its small size, it can be disguised so that uninvited guests in life will not guess that they have come under the scope of the lens: for example, place it inside a soft toy or book.
The Alfred Home Security Camera app (Android and iOS) takes advantage of the camera and microphone capabilities to monitor your apartment or house. When suspicious activity is detected, a signal is instantly sent to the owner.
This program is similar to how a baby monitor works. Only there are no lullabies, so the hidden camera will not give itself away. But two-way communication is present, so if you wish, you can personally intimidate uninvited visitors. In this application, you can also set up a circle of trust - add family members and relatives who are not prohibited from visiting housing in your absence. The camera will not consider these visitors as intruders.
4. ACTION CAMERA
A good action camera costs tens of thousands of rubles. For the most part, this is a price to pay for a hardened case and high quality stabilization. These characteristics are not important in all cases: a mobile phone in a waterproof case is quite suitable for underwater photography.
Such a cover will also be relevant for a smartphone in which a high-level IP rating is declared, since salty sea water is particularly aggressive, and the usual water protection against it is not effective enough. You will hardly want to risk a new smartphone, but you will not mind putting the old one into such experiments. Peace of mind and the ability to dive with an impromptu underwater camera costs nothing - about 1,000 rubles.
Take the Active IPX8 Universal Case, for example. It will fit any smartphone up to 6.8 inches. While diving, you won't have access to touch functions, but this case (and its analogues) allows you to operate the shutter button, so you have good underwater shots. But how good they are depends on mobile optics.
5. DESKTOP ASSISTANT
Business people will not be disturbed at the workplace by a smart assistant - a speaker with voice control functions. An unnecessary smartphone can easily become it. Grab a docking station, arrange for uninterrupted power supply and you're done.
Siri , Alexa, Google Assistant, or Cortana provide you with weather information, news, radio broadcasts, calendar reminders, music, and more. For maximum convenience, connect your smartphone to a good speaker so that keyboard clicks or other sounds don't drown out the assistant's voice. For this purpose, a headphone jack will serve (present in most older models), but in extreme cases, you can get by with a Bluetooth speaker.
6. SEARCH FOR ASTEROIDS (ANDROID)
Science today is largely dependent on computers. Complex calculations require powerful technology, but there is also an alternative - a distributed computing network. Everyone who is not indifferent to the future of our civilization can join it.
The BOINC mobile application, developed by the University of Berkeley, collects the computing power of smartphones from around the world and directs them to research global problems - the study of diseases and the consequences of global warming, the search for extraterrestrial bodies. These are just a few examples, the application's capabilities are much broader. It only works when the smartphone is connected to a power source, data is transmitted via Wi-Fi.
The more cores are involved and the stronger they are, the more actively the process will go. In any case, it's nice to think that the smartphone is not lying dead weight, but is participating in something important.
7. SHORTCUTS AND MACROS (ANDROID)
Continuing the business theme. For avid streamers, active users of media services, music fans and those who want to make their computer work even more convenient, Deckboard is a useful application.
It is intended for creating macros, that is, custom action algorithms. Its possibilities are almost endless: one click of the shortcut allows you to go to the desired functions of the computer, launch a specific application or folder, chat, etc.
A constantly working screen with frequently called commands is a real godsend for those who like to use their time with maximum efficiency. The only problem is that there is no such application for the iPhone .
8. A GOOD DEAL
Let's say you don't need a panel with macros. You are not going on vacation to the sea, and there are no small children in the house. The old smartphone continues to gather dust in the closet, and there is no way to find a suitable job for it. Well, if you really don't need him, someone else will probably be happy with him.
If the smartphone rolled off the assembly line a year or two ago, you should consider reselling it. To do this, you need to find out the prices for similar used models (sites like Avito and Yula and an online calculator for the cost of a smartphone will help). In general, those smartphones that are still covered by the warranty are most willing to buy. A decent amount can be bailed out for last year's flagship , provided that it is in good condition.
Good news for Apple smartphone owners: Used iPhones are valued much higher than other brands. Samsung is in second place . Owners of devices from other companies are less fortunate: they will have to list the goods for almost nothing.
If the extra few thousand don't make a big difference to your budget, you can always donate your unwanted smartphone to charity. The employees of the foundations accept the equipment in good condition, and then send it to those in need or help with recycling. The main thing in this case is to find a bona fide foundation that will accurately fulfill its obligations.
Source: www.techradar.com
